Proof of Console: Episode 1 – How Much is a Jiggy Worth?

This is Proof of Console; the show where we find an aspect of a video game or series and examine it through a mathematical or scientific lens to see just how plausible it is.

What sort of aspects are we talking about? Have you ever wondered how much actual money a golden Jiggy from Banjo-Kazooie is worth? Curious about how plausible space travel in Mass Effect is? Proof of Console is all about using real-world science and math to explain fictional things. No game is too complicated or obscure, and there will almost always be some definitive answer by the end of the video.

Today’s episode is about the 1998 hit for the Nintendo 64, Banjo-Kazooie. Littered throughout are one hundred jigsaw pieces presumably made of pure gold that you must collect. They look pretty big and if they’re made of solid gold, they must be worth a lot. It turns out the answer is easy to calculate using only basic geometry and statistics on gold’s worth.

Get Involved with Proof of Console

We always appreciate viewer feedback to make the show as good as it can be, so don’t hesitate to leave any comments relating to Proof of Console. Also, even though there are a number of episodes in the works for your viewing pleasure, we cannot make these shows without audience suggestions. So please, if you have a question about a certain video game that you want answered, leave it in the comments. It may just show up on the next episode with your name as a credited source!

The videos in this series are researched thoroughly with only reliable sources, whether those be websites, books, or scholarly articles. In-game information is taken from the developer’s information or well-established wikis. If you want to further discuss the topics or techniques used, you can get involved in the conversation via either the Scholarly Gamers’ Discord Server or on our subreddit.

A writer, streamer, artist, and all around nerd who has been pumping out stories and comics and drawings since he was six. When not writing, playing, or thinking about video games, Casey teaches high school English and honestly, still tries to integrate video games in that, too.

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With Scholarly Gamers, our team hopes to deliver a reporting platform above and beyond the standard set forth by loads of other media sources. We look to bring about critical thought and examination to a number of themes, technologies, implications, and more when it comes to the games that we share a passion for.